The US Army has used much of its stockpile of accurate long-range missiles in the Iran war, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the data.
The report said that the missiles include the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), surface-to-surface missiles that are fired from HIMARS rocket systems, and the Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), a new missile that was used by the US in combat for the first time on February 28, the opening day of the war.
According to multiple investigations, the US likely used PrSM missiles in strikes that hit a sports hall in the Iranian city of Lamerd, killing 21 civilians, including four children. US Central Command denied responsibility for the strike, claiming it didn’t attack the area and that it was likely an Iranian missile, but six weapons experts all independently rejected the claim when asked about it by the BBC.
The ATACMS are among the munitions that the US has provided to Ukraine and have been used in attacks on Russian territory. Before the Biden administration took the escalatory step to send the weapons into the conflict, there were deliberations over whether the US had enough to spare, meaning the US military already didn’t have much of a supply before the Iran war.
According to Reuters, the US Army has said that the ATACMS are being phased out and that the idea is to replace them with the PrSM. Sources told the outlet that the US has used “virtually all” of the weapons in the current conflict with Iran, though they wouldn’t say how many the US military has left.
The US has also depleted much of its advanced air defenses, using about 60% of its Patriot missile interceptors and half of its THAAD interceptors in the conflict with Iran. While the depletion of military stockpiles presents a strategic dilemma for the Trump administration when it comes to continuing the Iran war, it’s also a boon for US weapons makers, which have landed huge contracts to dramatically ramp up munitions production.
